KOLWEZI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO – Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN; OTCQX: IVPAF) Co-Chairs Robert Friedland and Yufeng “Miles” Sun announced that construction of Kamoa-Kakula’s Phase 2 concentrator plant, which is designed to double copper production to approximately 400,000 tonnes a year, is proceeding ahead of schedule. The project team now anticipates beginning operations of the Phase 2 concentrator plant in Q2 2022, as compared to current guidance of Q3 2022.
Mark Farren, Kamoa Copper’s CEO, stated: “Construction of the Phase 2 concentrator plant is progressing very well and the project team is working hard to complete the project ahead of schedule, similar to what we did with the Phase 1 plant. Based on the pace of the work completed to date, we now expect to deliver first ore to the Phase 2 ball mills before the end of Q2 2022.”
The Phase 2, 3.8 million-tonne-per-annum (Mtpa) concentrator plant is a carbon copy of the Phase 1 concentrator plant, and is being constructed alongside the Phase 1 plant. All long-lead items of equipment, structural steel, platework and mechanical equipment for the Phase 2 plant already are delivered to site or are en-route. As of the end of September 2021, the Phase 2 plant was more than 50% complete.
“The ahead-of-schedule and on-budget achievements at Kamoa-Kakula stand tall and shine brightly in a COVID-19 world … where mining, infrastructure, and other industrial projects are routinely massively delayed, hindered by supply bottlenecks and predictably subject to significant cost over-runs. This outstanding construction progress at our Phase 1 and Phase 2 mines in this challenging environment is a testament to the extraordinary skill and dedication of our 'United Nations' of managers, staff and contractors," said Ivanhoe Founder & Executive Co-Chair Robert Friedland. “Their careful and diligent planning, and their utilization of all of our inherent advantages, delivered this historic achievement, which the industry and the world can now plainly see has risen to new heights in what a recent industry publication called the 'Democratic Republic of Copper'.
“The Congolese mining industry has a very bright future indeed, and the legacy mining companies had better ‘pull up their socks’ … We are just starting … Having raised the bar for construction delivery, Ivanhoe Mines is setting its sights on raising the environmental, social and governance bar for the ultra-low-carbon copper production our world desperately needs for the energy transformation. We have all the pieces to do just that … We have the right team … We have the right partners and the right stakeholders. And we have the best copper projects in the world right now.”
Also at the end of September, Kamoa-Kakula had surface ore stockpiles totalling approximately 3.66 million tonnes grading 4.73% copper, containing more than 173,000 tonnes of copper (or 381.4 million pounds of copper). These stockpiles are in place to help ensure a smooth and efficient ramp up of the Phase 2 concentrator to steady-state production during 2022.
As forecast in Ivanhoe’s Kamoa-Kakula’s progress update issued on September 30, the second concentrate filter press began operations on October 3, enabling the Phase 1 plant to produce copper concentrate above design parameters. The second filter allows Kamoa-Kakula’s Phase 1 concentrator to take advantage of the exceptionally high-grade copper ore being processed directly from Kakula’s underground mining operations and surface stockpiles.
“Kamoa-Kakula’s Phase 1 milling and flotation capacity has been demonstrated to be in excess of design parameters,” commented Steve Amos, Kamoa Copper’s Head of Projects. “As such, the additional filter press enables Kamoa-Kakula to take advantage of the extra mill throughput to produce more copper than the estimated design output of approximately 200,000 tonnes per year. We have a third filter press on order that will be installed as part of the Phase 2 concentrator expansion.
“The additional filtration capacity also will allow Kamoa-Kakula’s operations team to find the ‘sweet spot’ between copper recoveries and concentrate copper grades.”
Aerial shot of the side-by-side Phase 1 (left) and Phase 2 (right) concentrator plants.
All eight rougher flotation cells and three of six cleaner flotation cells now installed in the Phase 2 concentrator plant.
Installing the inlet trunnion on the Phase 2 secondary ball mill.
Lifting the reducer gear box assembly for the Phase 2 secondary ball mill.
Preparing to lift shell sections of the second of two Phase 2 ball mills.
Since the previous reporting month, the Phase 1 concentrator has consistently achieved a run-rate throughput of 12,600 tonnes of ore per day (a rate of approximately 4.2 Mtpa), which is 10.5% higher than the design throughput of approximately 11,400 tonnes per day, or 3.8 Mtpa.
During initial commissioning of the second filter press, a new daily production record of 721 tonnes of copper in filtered concentrate was achieved on October 4, 2021. The current copper price is approximately US$9,500 a tonne.
Watch a short video showcasing the commissioning of the second concentrate filter press at Kamoa-Kakula: https://vimeo.com/629021616/deccdb4768
The Kamoa-Kakula Copper Project is a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines (39.6%), Zijin Mining Group (39.6%), Crystal River Global Limited (0.8%) and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (20%).
(L-R) Operators Madickson Kabeya, Mumba Mpanga Elie, Bizimana Andre Stany and Bedudrick Mutombo, in front of the two concentrate filter presses that were manufactured by Outotec ofEspoo, Finland.
Members of the multinational commissioning team at the new filter press on left.
Bizimana Andre Stany operating the concentrate filter press.
Philip Katayi monitoring the loading of high-grade copper concentrate into the transfer bin, which moves a portion of Kamoa-Kakula’s concentrate to the bagging plant for shipment to international markets.
Qualified Persons
Disclosures of a scientific or technical nature regarding development scenarios at the Kamoa-Kakula Project in this news release have been reviewed and approved by Steve Amos, who is considered, by virtue of his education, experience and professional association, a Qualified Person under the terms of NI 43-101. Mr. Amos is not considered independent under NI 43-101 as he is Kamoa Copper’s Head of Projects. Mr. Amos has verified the technical data disclosed in this news release.
Ivanhoe has prepared an independent, NI 43-101-compliant technical report for the Kamoa-Kakula Project, which is available on the company’s website and under the company’s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com:
- Kamoa-Kakula Integrated Development Plan 2020 dated October 13, 2020, prepared by OreWin Pty Ltd., China Nerin Engineering Co., Ltd., DRA Global, Epoch Resources, Golder Associates Africa, KGHM Cuprum R&D Centre Ltd., Outotec Oyj, Paterson and Cooke, Stantec Consulting International LLC, SRK Consulting Inc., and Wood plc.
The technical report includes relevant information regarding the assumptions, parameters and methods of the mineral resource estimates on the Kamoa-Kakula Project cited in this news release, as well as information regarding data verification, exploration procedures and other matters relevant to the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this news release.
About Ivanhoe Mines
Ivanhoe Mines is a Canadian mining company focused on advancing its three principal joint-venture projects in Southern Africa: the development of major new, mechanized, underground mines at the Kamoa-Kakula copper discoveries in the Democratic Republic of Congo and at the Platreef palladium-rhodium-platinum-nickel-copper-gold discovery in South Africa; and the extensive redevelopment and upgrading of the historic Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine, also in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kamoa-Kakula began producing copper concentrates in May 2021 and, through phased expansions, is positioned to become one of the world's largest copper producers. Kamoa-Kakula and Kipushi are being powered by clean, renewable hydro-generated electricity and are projected to be among the world’s lowest greenhouse gas emitters per unit of metal produced. Ivanhoe Mines has pledged to achieve net-zero operational greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and 2) at the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Mine when large-scale electric, hydrogen and hybrid underground mining equipment become commercially available. Ivanhoe also is exploring for new copper discoveries on its Western Foreland exploration licences in the Democratic Republic of Congo, near the Kamoa-Kakula Project.
Information contacts
Investors: Bill Trenaman +1.604.331.9834 / Media: Matthew Keevil +1.604.558.1034
Forward-looking statements
Certain statements in this release constitute “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as “may”, “would”, “could”, “will”, “intend”, “expect”, “believe”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “scheduled”, “forecast”, “predict” and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the company’s current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this release.
Such statements include without limitation, the timing and results of: (i) statements regarding the second concentrate filter press enables the Phase 1 concentrator plant to produce copper concentrate above design parameters statements; (ii) statements regarding the Kamoa-Kakula’s Phase 2 expansion, doubling production to over 400,000 tonnes of copper per year, is ahead of schedule and now on track to begin full operations in Q2 2022; and (iii) statements regarding Kamoa-Kakula and Kipushi are projected to be among the world’s lowest greenhouse gas emitters per unit of metal produced.
As well, all of the results of the Kakula definitive feasibility study, the Kakula-Kansoko pre-feasibility
study and the Kamoa-Kakula preliminary economic assessment, constitute forward-looking statements or information, and include future estimates of internal rates of return, net present value, future production, estimates of cash cost, proposed mining plans and methods, mine life estimates, cash flow forecasts, metal recoveries, estimates of capital and operating costs and the size and timing of phased development of the projects. Furthermore, with respect to this specific forward-looking information concerning the development of the Kamoa-Kakula Project, the company has based its assumptions and analysis on certain factors that are inherently uncertain. Uncertainties include: (i) the adequacy of infrastructure; (ii) geological characteristics; (iii) metallurgical characteristics of the mineralization; (iv) the ability to develop adequate processing capacity; (v) the price of copper; (vi) the availability of equipment and facilities necessary to complete development; (vii) the cost of consumables and mining and processing equipment; (viii) unforeseen technological and engineering problems; (ix) accidents or acts of sabotage or terrorism; (x) currency fluctuations; (xi) changes in regulations; (xii) the compliance by joint venture partners with terms of agreements; (xiii) the availability and productivity of skilled labour; (xiv) the regulation of the mining industry by various governmental agencies; (xv) the ability to raise sufficient capital to develop such projects; (xvi) changes in project scope or design; (xvii) political factors; and (xviii) unforeseen delays or stoppages in shipping and transportation of goods and equipment.
Forward-looking statements and information involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or information, including, but not limited to, the factors discussed below and under “Risk Factors”, and elsewhere in this release, as well as unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the company to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; and the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations.
Although the forward-looking statements contained in this release are based upon what management of the company believes are reasonable assumptions, the company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this release.
The company’s actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors set forth below in the “Risk Factors” section in the company’s 2021 Q2 MD&A and its current annual information form.
刚果民主共和国科卢韦齐 — 艾芬豪矿业 (TSX: IVN; OTCQX:IVPAF) 联席董事长罗伯特·弗里兰德 (Robert Friedland) 与孙玉峰 (Miles Sun) 欣然宣布，卡莫阿-卡库拉 II 期选厂的建设超计划推进，铜金属年产量翻倍至40万吨。项目团队预期 II 期选厂将于2022年第二季度启动生产，较原计划的第三季度提前数月。
卡莫阿铜业首席执行官马克·法伦 (Mark Farren) 表示﹕“II 期选厂建设进展顺利。项目团队始终坚持不懈地努力，以提前完成项目。按照目前的施工进度，预计 II 期选厂将于2022年第二季度末之前交付首批矿石，供给 II 期球磨机组。”
毗邻 I 期选厂建设的 II 期年处理矿石380万吨选厂，可以看作是 I 期的复制。II 期选厂的所有长周期设备、钢结构、钣金和机械设备部分已运抵现场，其余部分也正在运送途中。截至2021年9月底，II 期选厂的建设工程已完成超过50%。
艾芬豪创始人兼执行联席董事长罗伯特·弗里兰德表示﹕“在COVID-19新冠疫情的影响下，相较很多采矿、基础设施建设和其他行业项目受到延滞，由于供应出现瓶颈，导致项目严重超支等问题。卡莫阿-卡库拉项目面临如此困境，仍能在预算之内超计划推进 I 期和 II 期的矿山建设，并取得理想的进展，可见我们来自世界各地的管理团队、员工和承包商的出色表现和投入力度之大。他们的精心策划，加上我们的先天股东成分优势，使项目取得了历史性的成就。项目最近更被行业报告称之为‘铜矿民主共和国’，卡莫阿团队屡创新高，这是业界以至全球有目共睹的。”
“刚果矿业确实有着极为可观的发展前景，传统的矿业公司必须把握优势加紧努力。艾芬豪在矿山建设方面提升了行业标准，但这还只是第一步，我们将继续努力、不断提高，争取成为环境、社会和治理 (ESG) 的行业标杆，生产超低碳的铜金属，以配合全球对于能源转型的迫切需求。我们拥有最佳的团队、最佳的合作伙伴和最佳的利益相关方，这些条件将助力我们阔步前行。最重要的是，我们拥有目前全球最优秀的铜矿项目。”
截至2021年9月底，卡莫阿-卡库拉项目的地表堆场已储备了约366万吨矿石，铜品位4.73%，铜金属量超过17.3万吨 (或3.814亿磅铜)。堆场堆存矿石储备充足，有助于 II 期选厂在2022年平稳、有效地爬坡以实现稳态产能。
正如9月30日发布的卡莫阿-卡库拉月度进展报告，第二台精矿压滤机现已投入生产，I 期选厂的精矿产量将大幅提升并超越设计产能，I 期选厂将具有直接处理来自卡库拉地下采矿和地表矿堆超高品位矿石的优势。
卡莫阿铜业项目负责人史蒂夫·阿莫斯 (Steve Amos) 评论说﹕“卡莫阿-卡库拉 I 期的浮选能力已超过设计产能。新增的压滤机将可使卡莫阿-卡库拉充分利用额外的矿石处理量，以扩大铜产量并超越设计年产量 (约20万吨铜)。我们已订购第三台精矿压滤机，将安装到 II 期选厂中。”
“同时，额外的过滤产能将有助于卡莫阿-卡库拉的现场团队在铜回收率和铜精矿品位之间，实现最佳平衡。”
I期选厂(左)和II期选厂(右)的鸟瞰图。
II期选厂的八台粗选机和三台精选机 (共六台)已安装完成。
在II期选厂安装第二台球磨机。
在II期选厂进行第二台球磨机的齿轮减速电机的吊装。
在II期选厂准备第二台球磨机外壳的吊装。
自上一个报告月份以来，I 期选厂持续达到12,600吨矿石的单日生产量 (相等于约420万吨/年的生产率)，相比设计产能 (单日约11,400吨或380万吨/年) 高出10.5%。
第二台压滤机在投产初期已创下单日生产纪录，于2021年10月4日当日录得精矿含过滤铜金属量721吨 (当前铜价约9,500美元/吨)。
点击观看卡莫阿-卡库拉的第二台压滤机进行试车﹕https://vimeo.com/629021616/deccdb4768
(从左至右) 操作员 Madickson Kabeya、Mumba Mpanga Elie、Bizimana Andre Stany 和 Bedudrick Mutombo 在芬兰埃斯波Outotec公司生产的两台精矿压滤机前。
来自世界各地的现场团队成员在新压滤机前。
Bizimana Andre Stany正在操作精矿压滤机。
Philip Katayi 正在监控高品位铜精矿载入转运仓。卡莫阿-卡库拉的部分精矿将装袋后发往出口国际市场。
合资格人
本新闻稿中关于卡莫阿-卡库拉项目开发方案的科学或技术性披露已经由史蒂夫·阿莫斯审查和批准，他凭借其教育、经验和专业协会会籍被认为是NI 43-101 标准下的合资格人。由于阿莫斯先生是卡莫阿项目的负责人，因此他并不符合NI 43-101 对独立人士的界定。阿莫斯先生已核实本新闻稿所披露的技术数据。
艾芬豪已经为卡莫阿-卡库拉项目编制了一份符合NI 43-101 标准的独立技术报告，该报告可在艾芬豪网站以及SEDAR 网站上的艾芬豪页面获得，网址为www.sedar.com﹕
- 2020年10月13日发布的2020年卡莫阿-卡库拉综合开发方案，由OreWin Pty Ltd.、中国瑞林工程技术有限公司、DRA Global、Epoch Resources、Golder Associates Africa、KGHM Cuprum R&D Centre Ltd.、Outotec Oyj、Paterson and Cooke、Stantec Consulting International LLC、SRK Consulting Inc.以及Wood plc编制。
技术报告包括本新闻稿中引用的卡莫阿-卡库拉项目的矿产资源估算的假设、参数和方法等信息，以及本新闻稿中关于科学和技术性披露的数据验证、勘查程序和其他事项的信息。
关于艾芬豪矿业
艾芬豪矿业是一家加拿大的矿业公司，正在推进旗下位于南部非洲的三大合资项目：位于刚果民主共和国的卡莫阿-卡库拉铜矿和位于南非的普拉特瑞夫 (Platreef) 钯-铑-铂-镍-铜-金矿的大型机械化地下矿山开发工程；以及同样位于刚果民主共和国、久富盛名的基普什 (Kipushi) 锌-铜-锗-银矿的大型重建和改善工程。
卡莫阿-卡库拉铜矿项目于2021年5月实现铜生产，未来将分阶段进行扩建，预计将会成为全球最大规模的铜生产商之一。卡莫阿-卡库拉和基普什将使用清洁、可再生的水电，并将成为世界上每单位金属温室气体排放量最低的矿山之一。艾芬豪矿业已作出承诺，卡莫阿-卡库拉铜矿将会在电、氢和混合技术的大型地下采矿设备可供商业使用时尽快引入采矿作业，致力实现净零运营温室气体排放 (范围一和二)。同时，艾芬豪正在刚果民主共和国境内、毗邻卡莫阿-卡库拉项目的西部前沿 (Western Foreland) 探矿权内寻找新的铜矿资源。
联系方式
投资者﹕比尔·特伦曼 (Bill Trenaman)，电话﹕+1.604.331.9834 / 媒体﹕马修·基维尔 (Matthew Keevil)，电话﹕ +1.604.558.1034
前瞻性陈述
本新闻稿载有的某些陈述可能构成适用证券法所订议的"前瞻性陈述"或"前瞻性信息"。这些陈述及信息涉及已知和未知的风险、不明朗因素和其它因素，可能导致本公司的实际业绩、表现或成就、项目或行业业绩与前瞻性陈述或信息所表达或暗示的任何未来业绩、表现或成就产生重大差异。这些陈述可通过文中使用 "可能"、"将会"、"会"、"将要"、"打算"、"预期"、"相信"、"计划"、"预计"、"估计"、"安排" 、"预测"、"预言"及其他类似用语，或者声明"可能"、"会"、"将会"、"可能会"或"将要"采取、发生或实现某些行动、事件或结果进行识别。这些陈述仅反映本公司于本新闻稿发布当日对于未来事件、表现和业绩的当前预期。
该等陈述包括但不限于下列事项的时间点和结果﹕(i) 关于第二台精矿压滤机将有助于I期选厂扩大铜精矿产量并超越设计产能的陈述；(iii) 关于卡莫阿-卡库拉II期扩建超计划推进，将于2022年第二季度全面投产，双倍提升年产量至40万吨铜以上的陈述；以及 (iii) 关于卡莫阿-卡库拉和基普什将会成为世界上每单位金属温室气体排放量最低的矿山之一的陈述。
此外，卡库拉最终可行性研究、卡库拉-卡索科预可行性研究和卡莫阿-卡库拉初步经济评估的所有结果均构成了前瞻性陈述或信息，并包括内部收益率的未来估算、净现值，未来产量、现金成本估算、建议开采计划和方法、矿山服务年限、现金流量预测、金属回收率、资本和运营成本估算，以及项目分期开发的规模和时间点。另外，对于与卡莫阿-卡库拉项目开发有关的特定前瞻性信息，公司是基于某些不确定因素而作出假设和分析。不确定因素包括：(i) 基础设施的充足性；(ii) 地质特征；(iii) 矿化的选冶特征；(iv) 发展充足选矿产能的能力；(v) 铜价格；(vi) 完成开发所需的设备和设施的可用性；(vii) 消耗品和采矿及选矿设备的费用；(viii) 不可预见的技术和工程问题；(ix) 事故或破坏或恐怖主义行为；(x) 货币波动； (xi) 法例修订；(xii) 合资企业伙伴对协议条款的遵守情况；(xiii) 熟练劳工的人手和生产率；(xiv) 各政府机构对矿业的监管；(xv) 筹集足够资金以发展该等项目的能力；(xvi) 项目范围或设计变更； (xvii) 政治因素；以及(xviii) 货物及设备的航运和运输不可预见的延误或停顿。
前瞻性陈述及信息涉及重大风险和不确定性，故不应被视为对未来表现或业绩的保证，并且不能准确地指示能否达到该等业绩。许多因素可能导致实际业绩与前瞻性陈述或信息所讨论的业绩有重大差异，包括但不限于“风险因素”以及本新闻稿其他部分所指的因素，以及有关部门实施的法律、法规或规章或其不可预见的变化；与本公司签订合约的各方没有根据协议履行合约；社会或劳资纠纷；商品价格的变动；以及勘探计划或研究未能达到预期结果或未能产生足以证明和支持继续勘探、研究、开发或运营的结果。
虽然本新闻稿载有的前瞻性陈述是基于公司管理层认为合理的假设而作出，但公司不能向投资者保证实际业绩会与前瞻性陈述的预期一致。这些前瞻性陈述仅是截至本新闻稿发布当日作出，而且受本警示声明明确限制。根据相应的证券法，公司并无义务更新或修改任何前瞻性陈述以反映本新闻稿发布当日后所发生的事件或情况。
由于公司在2021年第二季度的管理层讨论和分析和当前年度信息表中“风险因素”部分所列的因素，公司的实际业绩可能与这些前瞻性陈述中预期的业绩有重大差异。